


May the Best Man Win

by Azvee



Series: Cooks, Cannibals, Consultants, and Cuddles [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Fluff, Hannibal has the biggest crush in the world, M/M, going to be some hardcore hand holding later on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4087954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azvee/pseuds/Azvee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal is the owner and head chef of the famous Ravenstag restaurant. His biggest rival? Gordon Ramsay, owner and head chef of the Maze. Both are excellent cooks and excellent killers constantly fighting for superiority over the other.</p>
<p>Their latest competition?<br/>Who will win the heart of one Will Graham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Tiếng Việt available: [May the Best Man Win (Translation - Dịch)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5778151) by [Frodo_the_Cheese947](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frodo_the_Cheese947/pseuds/Frodo_the_Cheese947)



Hannibal Lecter was a man that enjoyed the finer things in life. That was why he had decided to enter the culinary world to create gourmet dishes and inspire others to do the same. The Ravenstag was one of the most well known and respected establishments in the Baltimore area thanks to the hard work of both Hannibal and his staff. This in turn had made Hannibal one of the most respected and sought after men in Baltimore. Good company and good food seemed to exist in abundance for him. The professional chef would probably consider his life perfect if not for the inclusion of one man. Gordon Ramsay, owner and head chef of Maze restaurant.

Ramsay was a perfect example of squandered talents in Hannibal’s opinion. The man was an excellent cook, but an atrocious human being. At least in Hannibal’s own unbiased opinion. He was crass and headstrong in his opinions and more than willing to argue with any that disagreed with him until they were made to see his version of sense. One particularly incorrect opinion the man had was that not only was he a superior chef when compared to Hannibal, but his restaurant was also better than the Ravenstag.

Hannibal would have ended his life for such an insult if the man was not also a serial killer like himself. In a strange twist of fate, it appeared that both chefs shared the same after hours hobby of murder and cannibalism. They’d agreed to a truce of sorts after several accidental overlapping hunts. The man that arrived first would be given that kill and the other was forced to cede their rights to the meat.

Even Ramsay’s hunting skills were atrocious. Rather than adhere to a strict set of guidelines for choosing prey, such as rudeness like Hannibal sensibly used, his selection seemed completely random. The man had assured Hannibal that he had a system on multiple occasions but was never willing to share said system with him. He was clearly lying. Hannibal hated liars.

It was the thought of last night’s lost jogger that had Hannibal in a particularly sour mood this morning. His intended target had rushed past him early that morning and ran right through a rather large puddle, soaking one of Hannibal’s best outfits with filthy street water. Such insolence was not going to be tolerated, but unfortunately Hannibal had arrived just moments too late at the man’s house later that night. Gordon was already outside and preparing to enter. He even had the nerve to smirk at Hannibal when he noticed him. The audacity of the British man seemed to know no bounds.

He was so deeply entrenched in ideas about how best to serve the rude upstart to his kitchen staff that Hannibal barely registered the door opening and the day’s first visitor entering.

“Good morning, Doctor Lecter!” All the dark thoughts Hannibal had were immediately swept away at the sound of the greeting. Only one man ever used that title when talking to him. Will Graham, the most wonderful creature on the planet had just entered the Ravenstag. Everything about Will was perfect, from his delicate features and gentle curls on top of his angelic face to his quick wit and creative thinking strategies. Even the baggy clothing and large glasses couldn’t hide the beauty that lay hidden beneath it and all his awkward social posturing couldn’t dim the brightness of Will’s mind. Hannibal had been smitten with Will since their first conversation.

“Good morning, Will,” Hannibal replied with a bright smile. Will never failed to brighten his mood. “You’re earlier than I expected today. Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine, but thanks for asking. It’s just getting closer to finals at school so I’m trying to expand my office hours in case any of my students need the extra help.”

“Your kindness and generosity know no bounds.”

A light blush colored Will’s cheeks at the compliment and Hannibal grew even more pleased with himself. An embarrassed Will was even more charming than a regular Will. “It’s really not that impressive,” Will replied as he ducked his head slightly. “And I know I’m not the only teacher that does this. You might be over selling me just a bit.”

“Nonsense. You are by far the best teacher they have at Quantico and you clearly care about the future of each and every one of your students. The fact that you are willing to sacrifice part of your own day for them speaks volumes about your willingness to help others. It’s a very admirable quality.”

“Thanks, but I still think that might be a slight exaggeration.” His Will was so modest and humble. How could anyone see him as anything less than perfect?

Hannibal was about to give more completely warranted praise when a loud and very rude British voice rang out across the room. “You are absolutely divine!”

How could Hannibal have forgotten about Gordon’s ritual of coming to gloat after beating Hannibal to a shared target? The man always turned up to tell Hannibal just how wonderful he or she had tasted and how the meat had obviously gone to the better man that night. That conversation was what Hannibal had been dreading all through the night and now it had the added effect of interrupting the highlight of his day as well.

The man was currently making a beeline for poor William who was completely unprepared for his wild hair and abysmal personality. “Sorry to come off so strongly, but I wasn’t aware that anyone as gorgeous as you are would ever come to Hannibal Lecter’s restaurant willingly.”

“Oh, um thank you,” Will politely replied. “I’m just here to pick up a few bones though, I don’t think I’m the right kind of customer for this place.”

“What kind is that, the tasteless?” Gordon asked with a satisfied smirk. To his credit, Will ignored the jab at Hannibal’s restaurant.

“No, the affluent.”

“Nonsense, I can think of no one I would rather serve than you,” Hannibal responded quickly before Ramsay could get another word in. “You really must let me prepare a proper meal for you sometime.”

“You know I’d feel bad if I didn’t pay for it afterwards,” Will replied. Hannibal made the same offer each time Will came to visit and he always received the same reply.

Gordon gave an understanding nod. “Hannibal does love to charge more for lower quality.”

“Here you go, Will,” Hannibal said as he handed off several wrapped packages and did his best to ignore Ramsay's presence. “A few fresh bones and some sausages made from unwanted cuts for the dogs. Plus a croque-monsieur for you.”

“Sausages? I can’t just take those from you. How much are they?” Will asked as he tried to find his wallet. “I’ll pay for them and the food.”

Hannibal silenced all of Will’s protests with a wave of his hand. “No no, I insist that you have them. The meat would have gone to waste here anyway and I know that you have a habit of skipping meals. Let me try to provide for my friends and their canine companions.”

“Don’t get too excited anyways, croque-monsieur is just a fancy term for ham and cheese sandwich. He’d probably ask for a twenty because of the name alone.” Hannibal crossed his arms while Gordon continued to insult his clearly superior skills. “Now, if you’d like to try some real food, you should stop by the Maze sometime. I’m the head chef there and can guarantee you a free tasting of anything on the menu.”

“That’s very generous, but I really don’t think I could…” Will responded with a shake of his head. It was a polite refusal that Gordon Ramsay seemed unable to accept.

“No no, I insist that you come eat,” Gordon replied in what Hannibal considered a poor attempt at mimicry of his own voice. “Besides I need someone to finally settle the debate over which of our restaurants is the best. I need a man of your discerning tastes to back my claim up. What do you say, William?”

“I’ll consider it, ok?” Will replied with a smile as Hannibal’s heart sank.

“Great,” Gordon said as he handed off a business card with his personal number written on the back. “There’s the address and hours. Stop by anytime or just give me a call and we’ll get you set up.”

“I’m just taking the card, no promises,” Will said while pocketing the card. He cast a brief glance at the clock on the wall before springing back into action. “Oh, I’ve really got to go! It was very nice to meet you Mr. Ramsay.” Will nearly made it out the door before he remembered to turn around and hastily add, “And thanks again for the treats, Doctor Lecter. I’ll pay you back for the food next time!”

And just like that, Will Graham was gone. The poor innocent boy had been charmed by Gordon Ramsay of all people and had forgotten all about the man that had his best interests at heart. Hannibal didn’t know what game Gordon was trying to play, but he would not allow the man to harm his dear William in any way.

“And just what are your intentions for Will Graham?” He asked in his iciest voice.

Gordon just laughed at him before responding, “I think he looks amazing and would like to have him join me for dinner sometime.”

“If you think I will stand by and allow you to eat Will then you are sadly mistaken. Touch him and I will end you.” Any truce they may have had would be discarded in a heartbeat if it meant keeping his dear Will safe from a man as dangerous and needlessly flamboyant as Gordon Ramsay.

“Oh I don’t plan on eating him, at least not in the way I believe you’re envisioning.” Hannibal would have stabbed the man right at that moment if he had been armed and Gordon no doubt knew that as he paused to let the full implications of that sentence sink in before speaking again. “I think Will is a consenting adult, if he would rather spend his time with me that’s really his choice isn’t it?”

“I have been carefully cultivating a friendship with him for months and I will not see that work undone by you, Gordon.”

“Jesus, is he a person or a vegetable garden, Hannibal? It’s entirely up to Will who he would rather date. We’ll just have to see who gets to him first is all.”

“You don’t deserve him.”

“That’s not up for you to decide, Hannibal. May the best man win,” Gordon challenged before turning and making his way towards the exit.

“I intend to.”

“God you’re pretentious.” It was the last thing he said before the doors closed behind him, leaving his challenge hanging in the empty space for Hannibal to worry about.

Hannibal really hated Gordon Ramsay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just finished a story that took literal months to complete; break time? Hell no! Time to try my luck on delivering a story without a three month gap between chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal makes a mess and meets one of Will's friends.

“Christ you can’t take a joke, can you?” Gordon asked Hannibal as they watched the police officers back even more reporters away from the crime scene. The entire warehouse was surrounded by a sea of police tape and flashing cameras. “Did you really need to kill the guy?”

Hannibal refused to look at Gordon when he answered. He would not dignify the man with anything more than a verbal response. This mess was as much his fault as it was Hannibal’s. “He was offering me cheap bad fish. At your insistence apparently. How did you think this little joke would end?”

“But you just left the body at the docks? Hell, both our businesses are going to suffer shortages while they close down the place. Were you even thinking at all when you did this?”

Hannibal had not thought of the consequences of his actions, but he was not about to tell Gordon Ramsay that. He would rather drop dead than tell Ramsay that he had been looking for a reason to kill someone ever since Gordon’s conversation with Will the other day. His actions against the dockworker were probably a little harsh in retrospect, but the act itself had been a very therapeutic experience.

Plus there was one added bonus to creating such a public mess.

“It’s the Ripper, but he seems almost distracted.” Hannibal instantly perked up at the sound of his beloved’s voice.

A gruff unfamiliar one chimed in a moment later. “Well he looks pretty focused to me.”

“He’s upset about something, this guy just happened to be a convenient target.”

The conversation quickly dissolved into quiet murmurs before stopping completely. Hannibal liked to consider himself a fairly dignified man, but he wasn’t ashamed to say that he stood on his toes to try and add an extra inch or two of sight so he could see Will round the warehouse corner that much sooner. It was well worth the slight loss of his usually regal appearance to get to see the wind ruffle Will’s hair.

“Doctor Lecter?” Will called out as soon as he noticed the pair standing by the police tape before walking over towards them. “Gordon Ramsay? What are you two doing here?”

“These docks are the best place to pick up fresh fish,” Hannibal was more than happy to explain away whatever questions Will might bring to him.

“And any decent chef should be the one to ensure they have the best catch of the day,” Gordon added on.

“Ah,” Will nodded in understanding. “Well you could probably already guess as much, but it might be a few days before they’ll be allowed to open back up here. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. This isn’t your fault, Will.” Gordon said as he shot a quick glare over at Hannibal.

“Hey!” An asian woman yelled as she ran to stand beside Will. “You know these guys, Will? Cuz if not, we’re going to have to chase them away. You know how Jack feels about gawkers.”

“It’s ok, I know them. This is Doctor Hannibal Lecter and Gordon Ramsey. Guys, this is my coworker, Beverly.”

The woman, Beverly, gave the pair a brief examination before turning her attention towards Hannibal alone. “A doctor huh? What kind?”

“Former surgeon actually. The title really no longer applies. I’m a chef now.”

“We both are.”

“Seems like an odd transition,” Beverly commented as if Gordon hadn’t said anything. Hannibal liked her.

“That is what most say,” he replied with a smile.

“So does everyone still call you doctor then, or is it just Will?” She asked while elbowing Will in the side.

He responded by elbowing her back as well. “I still like to use the title, Doctor Lecter worked hard to earn it. Plus I think it has a nice ring to it.”

“William may call me whatever he pleases.”

“Uh huh,” Beverly replied as she examined Hannibal a moment longer. “Well this is the first time I’ve ever learned that Will actually talks to people outside of work. I thought you had to be involved with his pack for any interactions outside of looking at dead stuff.”

Will turned away from his colleague before mumbling, “I actually pick up bones from the Ravenstag on occasion.”

“Knew it had to be related to the pets somehow,” Beverly triumphantly replied before quickly looping her arm through Will’s and gently tugging him back towards the center of the crime scene. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you both, but I really need to steal Will back from you guys. Jack’s about to blow a gasket back there and I need someone to stand behind when that happens.”

“Jimmy and Brian won’t let you?” Will asked.

“Hell no, those two are the biggest babies I’ve ever met. I need a man with nerves of steel to protect me.”

“Fine, I’ll go give Jack my report,” Will said with a dramatic exhale. He gave an apologetic look to the two cooks. “I’ll try my best to get this place open as soon as possible for you guys. I’ll see you later.”

“Will’s so considerate,” Gordon said with a sigh.

Hannibal found himself agreeing with the man for once. “He really is.”

They watched the object of their shared desire walk away while Hannibal contemplated just the small miracle Will had accomplished by getting both men to agree on something. Will truly was amazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Best part about AUs? People that are dead in the show don't have to be here!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Gordon have another late night meeting.

“We really have to stop meeting like this, Hannibal.”

It was three in the morning and Hannibal had the distinct displeasure of running into Gordon Ramsay at his favorite dumping ground with a body of his own to dispose of. This portion of the Potomac was unusually deserted and had the added bonus of being surrounded by several factories that filled the air with noxious smelling chemicals almost constantly. The location seemed to naturally repel people, making it an ideal location for anyone to discard any unwanted items without fear of being caught in the act. Hannibal had used the area for years before Gordon came along and started fighting him for use of the land. This wasn’t something that Hannibal was ready or willing to deal with at the moment. “Anytime you wish to give up your title and claim to hunt here, come talk to me.”

“You know we can’t _both_ dispose of our bodies here.”

“I got here first,” Hannibal replied with a huff. The spot should belong to him tonight according to their traditionally agreed upon rules. Gordon would of course end up trying to argue for its use anyway though. It was all a part of their grand tradition.

“True. But mine was put to better use.”

“Do you want to start a fight about our dishes tonight as well, Gordon?” Hannibal didn’t have the time or energy for a proper fight right now. All he wanted to do was toss his unwanted body parts into the rank smelling waters and spare his nose from any further exposure to such powerful odors. “I’m tired and need to get up in a few hours. Please do not ask me to explain everything wrong with your lunch menu layouts again.”

“If we were to start that fight up again, I think any complaints you might have about my design choices would be vastly overshadowed by the massive imbalance of meats on your dinner menu.” The Brit paused for a moment before going on. “But that’s not why our jogger was put to better use.”

“Enlighten me then,” Hannibal said in a carefully constructed tone of indifference.

Gordon smiled before responding in his most smug voice, “Will had him.”

“No.” The world seemed to stop for a moment while Hannibal tried to process what Gordon had just said.

“It was a roast with fresh herbs and vegetables.”

“No.” The man had to be lying. William would never betray Hannibal like that.

“The meal was miles above your flimsy little ham sandwich in both skill, flavor, and satisfaction,” Gordon replied in a triumphant tone. “You’re outclassed here, Hannibal. Why don’t you run along back to your little hobby shop and leave the professionals alone to work their magic.”

“The only magic you possess is the ability to cook even the hint of flavor out of your food.”

“Will seems to disagree. Or do you not trust his judgement?”

That was a low blow. Of course he trusted Will, but the man was sometimes too kind for his own good. He was prone to false flattery to preserve the image of people like Gordon who didn’t deserve to have their egos saved. “You leave Will out of this.”

“I will as soon as you admit that he’ll leave you faster than Freddie did when I opened shop.”

Hannibal despised Freddie and her online blog. She’d once claimed that nothing was better than the fare at the Ravenstag in the hopes of obtaining a permanent discount on the pricing and possibly specialty items made just for her. When that strategy failed, she took her glowing reviews and bribery to the Maze where Mr. Ramsay looked upon both much more favorably. “Ms. Lounds has no taste of style or flavor.”

“Tell that to her readership.”

“Just take your corpse and go,” Hannibal bit out in a much harsher tone than he had intended.

Gordon merely laughed at the reaction before slinging the bag of body parts over his shoulder. “Ok, but I would like you to imagine Will biting into that roast and letting out a moan.”

“He didn’t moan.” The sentence was as much a threat as it was a statement and a prayer.

Gordon looked entirely too pleased for Hannibal’s liking as he watched a look of horror fill Hannibal’s face. “Oh he did. Hasn’t your food ever gotten that response? Can’t say I’m surprised. Your cooking is about as appealing as your personality.”

Hannibal didn’t even register Gordon’s departure; he was too busy trying to process this new information. Will didn’t moan. Hannibal spent the rest of his day repeating that phrase over and over again in his head. Will didn’t moan. He couldn’t have. What would that mean for their potential relationship if he had? Everything suddenly seemed so much less certain than it had just a few hours ago.

Gordon Ramsay was slowly dismantling all the carefully constructed ideas and plans that Hannibal had concerning Will. The man needed to be stopped.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hannibal needs to step up his game, Gordon's out-cooking him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal is given a few uncomfortable facts.

The next time Will came to visit Hannibal, it was during the dinner rush. Will had never visited Hannibal at any other time than the early morning before many customers had arrived so Hannibal was immediately concerned about what this unscheduled visit meant. His concerns were quickly justified when he got a good look at Will. The profiler looked like he hadn’t slept at all over the last few days and was nearly on the verge of tears. The sight broke Hannibal’s heart.

He quickly handed off the dish he had been working on to his sous chef and went over to the wall that Will appeared to be trying his best to merge with. “Will,” he asked in a soft voice, “what’s wrong?”

Will refused to make eye contact with Hannibal as he mumbled a quick reply. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t be here. I’ll just go.”

“No no no, stay,” Hannibal urged. He didn’t want Will wandering off when he was hurting like this. “You’re clearly upset about something, talk to me.”

“This was a bad idea. I just,” Will ran a shaky hand through his hair as he tried to form a complete thought. “I just, I think I… I need someone to talk to.”

“Did you find another crime scene?” Hannibal hadn’t left another sounder for the FBI to find, but that didn’t mean that someone else with fewer qualms about Will’s mental state hadn’t made a display worthy of their attention.

The pained noise Will let out in response was confirmation enough for Hannibal. “It was a dogfighter. He was horrible to those dogs and what happened to him was terrible, but those poor dogs!” At this point, Will's disheveled appearance and slightly hysterical tone was drawing more than a few confused glances his direction. “They didn’t deserve any of what they went through!”

“I’m sorry, Will. I know how much you care for your own pack. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you,” Hannibal said while placing his hand on Will’s arm. The action drew an uncomfortable cough from a patron at a nearby table and Will seemed to curl in on himself.

“This was such a bad idea coming here. I’m distracting you from work and your customers. I never would have come here if I weren’t so exhausted.” Will made an attempt to leave but was held in place by Hannibal.

“It’s really not a problem, Will. Please let me help you.” There was a beeping in the kitchen that Hannibal couldn’t ignore lest he let the main course for tonight’s private party burn. “Stay right here, and I will be back in just a moment.”

Will was gone when Hannibal returned a minute later with a drink for the man. One of his waitresses who knew of his attachment to Will reported that she had seen the tired man glance around at all the patrons that were watching him before Will hastily left the Ravenstag. She didn’t know where he was going when he disappeared.

Hannibal was worried. Will was in no fit state to drive. He was unbalanced emotionally and could get himself hurt in hundreds of different ways. What he needed right now was some rest and a safe spot to finally release the tension that had been building up within him.

As much as Hannibal hated to admit it, he actually hoped that Will had gone to visit Gordon. He couldn’t think of another place that the man might go to for comfort and he knew that Ramsay would at least try to take care of him.

Hannibal couldn’t just leave his restaurant to go and check the Maze though. He’d need to spend the next few hours dealing with the unusually busy dinner rush and dividing his duties up between the kitchen staff before finally being able to leave. He just hoped that Will would still be unharmed when he found him.

* * *

When he finally arrived at the Maze it was long past the time for dining out and the place had cleared out considerably. He ignored the various looks he got from Gordon’s staff ranging from confusion to disgust and made his way back towards the bar. He was relieved to find Will sitting at the bar with some ice cream and what looked like whiskey. His eyes looked red and puffy, as if he had just finished crying.

“Hannibal Lecter,” Gordon Ramsey greeted. “What brings you here? Did you finally call it quits on the Ravenstag?”

Hannibal didn’t care enough to be offended by the jab at his livelihood. All he cared about was that he had found Will safe and in one piece. “No, I was hoping to find Will here.”

“Hey Doctor Lecter,” Will said. “Sorry I caused a bit of a scene at your place earlier. Did you know that they make their own ice cream here?” Will had clearly had more to drink than was advisable for a man trying to deal with stressful emotions.

“Are you ok? I was worried you’d gotten hurt when I came back and you were gone.”

“I’m doing alright now actually. I talked to Gordon about what happened and I think I’m feeling a bit better. Homemade food is a surprisingly good treatment.” Will paused for a moment before looking at Gordon and saying, “I can pay you back for all this.”

“No need to. You were upset and if any of this helped at all I’ll consider that payment enough.” The soft smile that Gordon received at those words nearly broke Hannibal’s heart for a second time that night.

“Thank you.”

“Now I don’t have a bed to offer you,” Gordon said while gathering up Will’s bowl and glass. “But there are a few booths in the empty party room that you can use.”

“Why would I want a booth? I’ve got a bar stool,” Will said before spinning around in his seat to prove a point.

Gordon chuckled as he reached out an arm to stop Will’s spinning. “You’re not in a fit state to drive right now and I refuse to let you leave until you’ve had a proper nap.”

“You guys are no fun,” Will said with a slight pout.

“No we’re not. Edmund’s going to take care of you while I have a word with Mr. Lecter in private.”

Will managed a slow nod before one of Gordon’s waiters began to shepherd him towards the empty room where he’d sleep off the effects of the whiskey before attempting to go back home.

This gave Hannibal ample time to question Gordon Ramsay as he followed the man into his private office to talk. He might have been grateful to find Will safe and sound at the Maze, but that did not dull the anger that he felt if his suspicions about the origin of the dead body were correct.

“Did you kill that man?” Hannibal asked as soon as the office door closed.

“Excuse me?”

“I am in no mood for any games tonight. Answer the question, Gordon.”

Gordon at least had the good sense to look guilty as he replied. “Yes, I thought it would be a nice gift of sorts.”

 _A nice gift?_ Did Gordon know nothing about Will? All he would accomplish with such an offering would be a tormented Will. “Well your gift has cost poor William several nights of sleep he desperately needed and could have gotten him seriously injured. What were you thinking?”

“I realize that now. When I found out he worked at the FBI, I figured that he would be happy to know that all those dogs were safe now. I didn’t know he’d react so strongly to it.”

“Will has an empathy disorder. He reacts strongly to everything!”

“I wasn’t aware of that,” Gordon snapped.

“Well I am. I know that because Will told me and I remembered it because I care about him. What secrets has Will shared with you, Gordon?” Hannibal was tired of this man pretending to have any sort of relationship with his Will and wanted to end this competition before his love was hurt again.

Gordon crossed his arms and leveled a glare at Hannibal before replying. “He told me about how he was worried he’d damaged your reputation by showing up at the Ravenstag.”

“What?”

“I know you’re going to take this as me lying or just being as ass, but I’m trying to help you understand the situation. Will respects you and I know he genuinely likes talking with you, God only knows why. But you outrank him socially and he is very aware of that. He’s not going to accept your advances because he’s worried that it’ll somehow dirty you by doing so.”

“That’s ridiculous. No one could ever begin to compare to Will.” The idea that Will might refuse his advances because of social differences was outlandish. Surely Will wouldn’t let something as trivial as a tax bracket determine his love life.

Gordon actually sounded sympathetic for the first time in their entire association when he replied to Hannibal. “You’ve always prided yourself on being on a higher level than everyone else, Lecter. Turns out that’s what’s going to cost you Will.”

“You run an establishment that many would say is just as fancy as my own,” Hannibal countered. “Shouldn’t you also be excluded from association with Will if what you’re claiming is true?”

“The Maze can cater to more than just the upper class. Can you say the same at the Ravenstag?”

“My line of work shouldn’t matter, not when it comes to Will,” Hannibal protested.

“What are you going to do; elevate him to some quasi-deity status? Most people don’t share your god complex, Hannibal, and your singular view isn’t going to change how either Will or the world look at each of you.”

Hannibal had never thought about the differences between Will and himself. He’d always seen Will as existing on a higher level than the sheep around them. It had never occurred to him that Will might not see things the same way as him. Of course Will would take the opinions of others into consideration, he didn’t see how much better he was than them. Hannibal knew that Will was a man more than willing to sacrifice something that was good for him for the sake of another. It was one of the many qualities that made Hannibal adore him so much. He’d never considered the fact that Will might worry about protecting Hannibal’s public image by avoiding contact with him. The idea of losing Will because of the world he’d built up for himself hurt him more than Hannibal had ever thought was possible.

Hannibal quietly secured promises that Will would be looked after and sent safely on his way and left the Maze. He had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor little cannibal, even when you're rich money is still a problem.  
> Also, dog fighting is the worst.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beverly gets tired of waiting for someone to make a move on Will.

In the week following the incident with the dog fighter, both Gordon and Hannibal made plans to make increased efforts to reach out the the profiler. Since Will hadn’t made an appearance at the Ravenstag since his dinner visit, Hannibal decided it would be best to go to him. He prepared a careful meal consisting of several cuts from an impatient businessman and drove down to the FBI academy in Quantico. He’d hoped to catch Will there and share a meal together but ended up running into none other than Gordon Ramsay instead.

Ramsay apparently had the same idea that Hannibal had and seemed equally upset by the unexpected presence of his rival. “Will’s in a meeting, Hannibal,” Gordon curtly informed him. “A Mr. Crawford needs to talk to him about some killer. I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that?”

Hannibal hadn’t had the time to drop another body this week. He’d been too concerned about what another corpse’s appearance could do to Will’s mental state. The Ripper was taking a break until he knew that Will was in a better state of mind. That break didn’t mean that Hannibal appreciated having such a thinly veiled question leveled at him in a building full of people that would love to catch him though. “I haven’t seen Will in several days, so I’m afraid that I’m as in the dark about this as you are.” He cast a quick glance down at the empty bag that Gordon had with him. “I take it you were also hoping to share a lunch with Will.”

“That was the plan, but I was unfortunately mobbed by his coworkers on the way out. There were two men that were more than happy to relieve me of what was supposed to be a private delivery.”

Hannibal made a tutting noise before patting Gordon’s shoulder in a show of mock sympathy. “Poor Gordon, getting mugged in an FBI building.”

“It was handed off willingly you idiot.”

“Of course,” Hannibal replied in a patronizing voice. Gordon seemed about ready to hit the man, but found his attention being distracted by an unexpected interloper.

“Hey, Lecter and Ramsay!” Both men turned at the sound of their names being called. It was the lady from the docks that had taken Will from them. She appeared to have remembered them and was waving them down across the room. “I need to talk to you both for just a minute.”

“Of course,” Hannibal said with a slight bow. “It was Ms. Katz, correct?”

“Yes it was, but that doesn’t matter. Look, I think it’s real cute watching you both make heart eyes at Will but one of you needs to just go and ask him out already.”

“Excuse me?” Hannibal asked. He was shocked. Hannibal had been so subtle and reserved in his courting, how had this woman figured out his intentions so quickly?

“Jimmy and Brian just wandered by with a five star meal talking about some British guy trying to visit to Will. And I’m willing to bet my life savings that you’ve got another meal for him hidden in that box,” she said while pointing at Hannibal’s rather fragrant delivery box. “I’m not an idiot, you both like the guy.”

“And you’re not worried about why we’re so interested in Will?” Gordon asked.

“Look I don’t know either of you, you could both be serial killers for all I know,” she missed the slight widening of their eyes at her words. “But I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt because I think it would be good for Will to know that there are people out there interested in him. He might not say yes, but he could use the ego boost. And if he does go for it, it’d be good for him to get out more. He needs to do something not dog related every now and again.”

“So you want us to ask him out but you don’t know if he’d say yes.” Gordon said while crossing his arms and attempting to intimidate the spirited woman standing before him. It wasn’t a successful attempt.

“That about covers it,” Beverly replied before adding, “and if you guys don’t, I will. And then you’ll really be out of luck because I will cram his schedule so full of pointless activities that he’ll have absolutely no time for either of you.”

“That seems an odd threat to make,” Hannibal said with a forced calmness. It was hard enough trying to meet with Will while Gordon was his only competition, he didn’t want to fight with someone that Will already enjoyed being around.

Beverly just stared down the two men before replying with a cocky grin, “think of it as an ultimatum. Just a little extra motivation to get you guys going.” She gave them each a pat on the back before taking off. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pick up some paperwork from Will and see what his weekend plans are. Good luck boys!” Beverly yelled over her shoulder as she wandered off down the hall leaving her challenge hanging in the air between the two killers.

Hannibal and Gordon both stared the other down for several long moments to try and get a complete assessment of what their competition was before silently departing. Both were too busy making plans about how best to woo Will to threaten or intimidate the other. A gauntlet had been thrown down and both men were determined to rise to the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beverly is here to steal date and break hearts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal finally asks Will on a date.

Will finally made an appearance at the Ravenstag the day following Hannibal’s talk with Beverly and he couldn’t help but wonder if she had a hand in Will’s reappearance. No matter the cause, he was very happy to see the man again. Will seemed to have rebounded from the finding the dog fighter and certainly looked much better than his last visit. If there were ever going to be a time to finally ask Will out, it was now. Hannibal ignored the nervous fluttering in his gut as he put on his warmest smile and greeted Will.

“Good morning, William.”

“William? We’re using full names today, Doctor Lecter?”

“It is a lovely name and should be used when appropriate.”

“It’s a pretty common one,” Will said while his cheeks turned pink. “Just here for the usual pickup.”

Hannibal nodded as he placed a bag of bones and unwanted meat on the counter. “Of course. I do have a question for you though.”

“Ok. Ask away.”

This was the moment of truth. Hannibal took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and then spoke. “Would you be interested in attending a play with me this Friday?”

“What?”

“I find you extremely charming, Will, and it would mean the world to me if you would come with me.”

“Hannibal…” Will said with a sad look in his eyes. Hannibal’s heart sank. “Oh Hannibal, I can’t. You don’t want to deal with this,” he said with a quick gesture to himself.

“I assure you there is nothing I want more,” Hannibal pleaded as he took a step forward with his hand stretched out in supplication. Will took a few steps back while shaking his head in response.

“You really don’t. Just look at us, it wouldn’t work. You’re you and I’m...well I’m me.”

“Will…” Hannibal couldn’t bear to hear Will giving voice to how little he thought of himself. He was surprised to find that thought hurt Hannibal even more than the rejection.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.” Will all but ran out of the restaurant, leaving Hannibal alone with a bag of bones and a broken heart.

* * *

“Are you ok, boss?”

Hannibal had burnt the vegetables. He hadn’t burned anything on accident since he was a child. This was his third time today. He just couldn’t get the image of Will running away from him out of his head. Hannibal had had multiple lovers and relationships over the years, and never once had his advances been rejected. None of those relationships had mattered quite as much as William did though. For once in his life Hannibal had no interest in cooking or socializing. All he truly wanted to do right now was curl up and die out back.

“Mr. Lecter, the phone’s for you,” Abigail, one of Hannibal’s promising hostesses, said as she help out the receiver. “I can get Samuel to work the grill for a while.”

“Thank you, Abigail,” he responded with a grateful smile. She handed off the phone and gave him a sympathetic look before patting him on the arm and heading into the kitchen.

“Hello, Hannibal.”

Hannibal’s mood soured even further at the sound of Gordon Ramsay’s voice. The universe seemed to have decided it wasn’t enough that his only chance at true happiness had been taken away from him, he now had to put up with whatever asinine topic Gordon had called him to talk about. “Why are you calling me during work, Gordon?”

“I just thought you’d like to know that I will be having my first date with Will this Friday.”

The entire world seemed to stop as Hannibal tried to process what he was just told. Will had rejected him but said yes to Gordon Ramsay of all people? “He said yes to you?”

“Of course he did,” Gordon replied in a self-satisfied voice. “Are you really so surprised? I just thought you should know so you don’t put Will through any unneeded stress by trying to make him head to an opera or some other shite event like that.”

“Good day Mr. Ramsey,” Hannibal hissed before hanging up and slamming the phone into its charging station with much more force than was necessary.

“Is everything alright?” Abigail asked.

“No, it’s not.” Nothing would ever be alright again. William, the brightest light in Hannibal’s world had been snuffed out and taken from him by his biggest rival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad cannibal noises.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a strange evening.

The rest of the week was the hardest one Hannibal had endured in decades. Everything and everyone seemed washed out and drained of any kind of joy or happiness. Work became a punishment rather than a pleasure. He couldn’t gather the enthusiasm for a hunt even with an entire city full of rude people spread out before him. Hannibal just felt tired of it all and would have gladly disappeared entirely if he didn’t already have several societal obligations and commitments for the rest of the month.

One such obligation was the play that he had invited Will to. Hannibal ended up attending the play alone and couldn’t recall a single detail of what he had just spent three hours watching once it was done. The mingling afterwards only served to remind him of just how alone he was at this moment and he found he couldn’t focus on any of the conversations happening around him.

Even his good friend, Mrs. Komeda was forced to repeat herself to Hannibal in order to capture his attention. “Hannibal, I just said that I’m getting a small party together at my place. You’ll be attending of course.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Komeda, but I do not think I would be good company for tonight’s party.” Hannibal didn’t want to go to anymore activities tonight. He’d all but forced himself to go to the play because he had been personally invited by the lead actor. His obligations for tonight were fulfilled and he wanted nothing more than to go home and sulk for the next few hours.

“You are the reason I’m doing this. You look so sad tonight and I have decided to take it upon myself to fix this,” she said while gesturing towards Hannibal’s despondent expression. “Please allow me to try.”

“I appreciate your concern.”

“Good. You’ll appreciate the party even more then.” She held up a hand to silence Hannibal’s protest before he could even get the chance to speak. “I’m not taking no for an answer here. My husband is out of town for a few more days and I want to make a suitable mess before he gets back.”

“I suppose I can’t turn down that offer.” Mrs. Komeda was a very persistent woman and would not let him turn down the invitation. It was more prudent to just accept and plan to leave as early as possible.

“Of course not. Now come along. We’re going to make a quick stop for some wine and I’ll need you to help me choose the best one. You’re probably the only person in this entire building that actually knows what all the gibberish on those bottles actually means.”

* * *

During their small group’s trip to the wine store Hannibal was reminded of another reason why he disliked Gordon Ramsay and the Maze. It was located right across from the best wine shop in town. It had been a spot Hannibal had been trying to procure for years before Gordon came along and stole it right out from under him.

 _That was just the first of many things he would end up taking from me._ Hannibal thought bitterly.

Hannibal dutifully found the best wine to go with the sweets that Mrs. Komeda had promised to serve at her house and was in the process of being sheperded back to his car when he was distracted by a pair of very familiar figures exiting the Maze. It seemed Gordon and Will were also in the middle of a night out on the town. Curiosity easily got the better of Hannibal as he stood across the street and listened in to their conversation.

“Alright, what is it you wanted to say so badly, Will?” Gordon asked a rather flustered looking Will.

“Look, Gordon, you’re a very nice guy and I did have a good time for the most part, but I just don’t like you romantically.”

“And you couldn’t tell me this inside?”

“I didn’t want your employees to overhear things. I didn’t even plan on staying for dinner tonight, but you wouldn’t let me say no.”

“But you said yes to the date.”

“No, I said it would be nice to talk,” Will replied in a stern voice that he usually saved for lecturing misbehaving students. “That was what you asked me to do when you called me and that was what I expected to do tonight. I didn’t come here to dine by candlelight. I’m sorry if you thought I meant something other than just being friends when I accepted, but that’s all I’m comfortable with when it comes to you.”

“We can work this out, Will. We’d be good together, you know we work well together.”

“No I don’t. I hardly know you at all, Gordon. You seem like a good guy but you’re not a guy I’m interested in dating.”

“Let’s go back inside and work this out, alright sweetie?”

“I am not your ‘sweetie,’” Will said as he turned to walk away. Unfortunately, Gordon was not ready to let him leave and quickly caught Will’s arm in a rough grasp. “Ow! Let go of my arm, Gordon.”

“Not until we finish this talk. We just need to talk a little more, William.”

“No we don’t,” Will replied while trying unsuccessfully to extract himself from Gordon’s strong grip. “Now let go of me before I make you.”

Hannibal was already halfway across the street when he saw Will wince in pain as the grip tightened. “What are you doing?”

Both parties turned their attention towards the unexpected interloper.

“Hannibal!” Will cried out in a mix of joy and confusion. “Why are you here?”

“I was just stopping by to pick out wine for a few friends. Now Mr. Ramsay, what are you doing?”

Hannibal grabbed Gordon’s own arm and began to squeeze it until he was forced to let go of Will’s. Will moved a few steps back and Hannibal quickly filled in the space between them so that he was standing between Gordon and Will.

Gordon refused to break eye contact with Hannibal as he gave a clipped reply to Hannibal’s question. “We were just having a conversation.”

“One that involved trying to hold Will here against his will.”

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“If you are trying to threaten Will then it does concern me.”

“It’s fine, I was just leaving,” Will said as he massaged the slight bruising already starting to form on his wrist. “Isn’t that right, Gordon?”

“No. You’re not going until I get until I get a proper explanation for this.”

“I already gave you one. Conversation over.”

“It seems you’re not wanted around here anymore, Mr. Ramsay. I would suggest you go back inside now.”

“Or what? You’ll gut me?” Gordon challenged. As much as Hannibal wanted to do so, now was not the correct time or place to admit it. He had other ways around to resolve this fight without letting it come to blows.

“I don’t need to. There is a large group of reputable witnesses across the street that can and will testify to your harassment of Will should you not turn around and go back to the Maze.”

Gordon paused for a moment to stare at the well dressed gawkers across the street before turning his gaze back on Hannibal.“You’re fucking joking.”

“Leave or I will call the cops, Gordon.”

“Fine,” Gordon spat out. “I’ve got better things to do tonight than deal with those idiots. Good night, Will.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Ramsay,” Will responded in a cold voice. Gordon bristled at the clear dismissal and appeared to briefly contemplate another attempt to reach out to Will but was stopped by the death glare that Hannibal was sending him. No further attempt to reach out to or speak with Will would be tolerated while the Ripper was present. Gordon let out a string of curses before retreating back to his restaurant. He knew that now was not the time to push his luck with the other serial killer. If something were to happen, it would be later when there were less witnesses around.

Will turned to Hannibal once Gordon had left and gifted him with a genuine smile. “Thank you, Hannibal.”

The use of his first name made Hannibal pause. “I don’t believe you’ve ever used my first name before.”

“Well there’s a first time for everything, right?”

“I believe that’s true. Let me look at that wrist. I want to make sure it’s not injured.” The hand was given and Hannibal gave it a few brief pokes and prods before looking up at Will. “I believe you will be able to keep the limb,” he said in his most serious voice.

“Hmm” Will seemed lost in thought for a moment. “That’s nice.”

He’d gently grasped Hannibal’s hand once he had finished inspecting the wrist and had yet to let it go. “That’s nice,” Will repeated with a smile as he gave the hand he was holding a soft squeeze.

Hannibal felt a sudden rush of warmth fill him and he felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. He gave a gentle squeeze of his own before smiling back at Will. “That’s nice.”

The response made Will giggle, a sound Hannibal had never heard him make before. He looked into Will’s eyes, saw the glittering lights from the streetlamps and passing cars reflected in them, and Hannibal had never wanted to kiss him as strongly as he did in that moment.

“So this is the famous Will Graham?” Mrs. Komeda said as she and the rest of the group joined their conversation, jarring the pair out of their private thoughts. They both straightened up and turned towards the newcomers, but neither left go of the other’s hand.

“You’ve heard of me?”

“Heard of you?” Mrs. Komeda replied with a smile. “I was half convinced Hannibal had made you up the way he speaks about you.”

“What have you been saying about me?” Will asked.

Hannibal was more than happy to fill Will in on all the completely warranted praise he had given him, but Mrs. Komeda beat him to a response. “I’m afraid the only way to find out that is to come over to my little party tonight and I’ll tell you every last word.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Will said while shifting nervously from foot to foot. “I’ve been reliably informed that I make for a poor party guest.”

“You let me be the judge of that. Besides I need to see you in better lighting if I’m ever going to be able to decide of you really have an angelic face.”

“Angelic face? What have you been saying, Hannibal?”

“Nothing but the truth,” Hannibal replied with nothing but sincerity.

“That does not reassure me. I really should be heading home though.”

“Yes, you really should,” A man that looked to be more wrinkle than human said in a smug voice as he shoved his way to the front of the well dressed crowd. “That would be best for everyone involved I think.”

“Oh be quiet, Richard. No one cares what you think.” Mrs. Komeda replied.

“I’m just looking out for everyone’s best interests here, surely you don’t want to see anyone’s name dragged through the mud.”

“I do not appreciate your tone, Richard,” Hannibal warned. He would gladly kill for Will if that was what the situation came to, be it literally or just socially.

Fortunately, Mrs. Komeda once again beat him to it. “Neither do I. You can go home now, Richard. I’m the one who gets to pick my guests not you, and I personally find Mr. Graham’s company much more stimulating than yours.”

“You’ve barely heard him utter more than ten words.”

“I’ve met rocks more stimulating than you. I have a feeling Mr. Graham can find it within himself to excite us more than a rock can. Now please go home, you’re no longer welcome at my house tonight.”

Richard could do little more than huff at the obvious dismissal as he looked at the rest of the group and found no supporters there. He began his solitary sojourn home with much angry muttering to himself as Hannibal mentally congratulated himself on his choice of friends.

“Won’t that hurt your standing?” Will asked as he watched the old man shuffle off into the night.

“Richard? No one really enjoys that man, darling. We all just put up with him because his niece is terribly charming. He just invites himself to as many gatherings as he can manage and hopes that we’ll feel ambivalent enough to let him stay. So now that that’s been dealt with; will you be joining us, Mr. Graham?”

“Please tell you’ll come,” Hannibal implored. “It’s only a small gathering. Very informal.”

Will looked at Hannibal’s pleading face and thought about how much he liked holding his hand before smiling back at him. “How can I say no to my knight in shining armor?”

* * *

“That was surprisingly nice,” Will said as he and Hannibal left Mrs. Komeda’s house several hours later. They’d all had some wine and a light snack before putting on a bit of music afterwards. The rest of the evening was mostly just conversations with the occasional dance when someone felt particularly inspired by the music.

“You sound as if you expected an inquisition.”

“I thought that Mrs. Komeda was going to ask me what my intentions towards you were or something suitably old fashioned.”

“If anyone were to receive such a question from her, it would be me. She likes you far too much for such things,” Hannibal replied with a grin.

“How can you tell?”

“You would never have been invited inside if she didn’t approve of you.”

“You know, I just thought of something.”

“What’s that?”

“My car. It’s still parked out by the Maze. I’m going to have to go back there and see if he’s towed it away out of spite.”

“Poor Gordon,” Hannibal said with surprising sincerity.

“Poor Gordon?” Will asked with a laugh. “You are probably one of the last people I would ever expect to be showing sympathy for Gordon Ramsay.”

“I have had to endure a week with the thought of you gone from my life and it nearly killed me. I can’t begin to imagine trying to go through the rest of my life with that feeling.”

Will just rolled his eyes and gave Hannibal a gentle shove. “You are really melodramatic, Doctor Lecter.”

“I am speaking nothing but the truth. He’s had the best thing in life taken from him and I worry about if he’ll ever be able to rebound from that loss.”

“Stop talking like that or I’ll never let you introduce me to any of your other high society friends.” Will watched as Hannibal dug the car keys out of his pocket and used the momentary distraction to kiss him on the cheek. He quickly turned his head away and moved forward a few steps before looking back at the shocked look on Hannibal’s face. “Now come on, let’s go find out if my car’s still there.”

“Your wish is my command.” Will Graham had just kissed him. Hannibal could die happy now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that brings us to the end of our little tale. I may write a one shot if the mood strikes me because I've grown fond of the little AU. 
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone that has liked/commented/read this story to the end. I hope it was as fun to read as it was for me to write!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/Questions/Concerns/Whatever can go down in the thread below or on my tumblr: azvee.tumblr.com


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